Downton Abbey: The Exhibition has landed in Boston at The Castle at Park Plaza for an extremely limited three month run. An appropriately themed afternoon tea was held on Friday, June 14th, featuring Executive Chairman of Carnival Films, Gareth Neame, and members of the press and socialites (aka social media influencers).

…there is an extended train fight, daresay, ‘train battle’ that of course perked me right up! Lots of metal for Magneto to play with in a train fight!

One of SNL's newest cast members is rising star Chris Redd. Chris is also known for appearing on Netflix' Disjointed and in movies Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping opposite Andy Samberg, The House and A Futile and Stupid Gesture. Yesterday, Redd dropped his new album But Here We Are on Comedy Central Records (available everywhere).

Social media is tricky business, and as the practice becomes more essential to promoting a band or art, the more we’re seeing people fail miserably. Clay Fernald, however, has been kicking ass at it for years, ever since he landed on the cover of the Boston Phoenix in 2005 for having nearly 3,500 MySpace friends. Now as general manager of the Middle East in Cambridge and curator of DigBoston’s comic-mad League Podcast, the former frontman of punk band Wild Zero has social media promotion on lockdown, both personally and professionally.

Tomorrow night (Friday, March 21) Fernald teams up with the MMMMaven Agency for a social media workshop in Central Square, Cambridge. Designed to educate bands, DJs, artists, and anyone else interested in promotion through social media, the session provides expert advice in an innovative forum.

Since one of the tenants of Fernald’s social media approach is communication through conversation, we asked him why he feels social media in 2014 is so vital to an independent artist’s success.

“This has to be the greatest time in human existence to be a musician and an artist,” Fernald tells Vanyaland. “Damn — if you say the right thing on twitter orpost the right video on YouTube, you can be an overnight sensation. Besides that, you gotta talk to your fans and the venues you are playing at via social. Your access to your heroes is unprecedented. Holler at your influences, get a star favorite, ride on cloud nine all day!

So what makes a band successful at social media: Friend counts? Followers? Interaction?

“Of course likes and followers are great, but the real important part is the interaction, the listening, the talkback,” he adds. “The conversation. Pretend everyone is sitting next to you at the bar. It might be three people, it might be 30. Be cool and people will want to know what you have to say!”

Since Fernald will be busy educating those at tomorrow night’s workshop on how to have a successful social media campaign, we decided to flip the script and ask him to break down what not to do. Here are his five suggestions:

5.Don’t Be a dick

Do you think Thom Yorke cares that you think “name your own price” is a lame idea? Fine, get over it. He’s not gonna respond anyway. Try some PMA! “Don’t deride when you can go along for the ride!”

4.Don’t troll

C’mon, man. Setting up a fake twitter account to keep an eye on the bassist that quit your band? He ain’t comin’ back, baby!

3.Don’t tag band members of other bands in your Facebook check-ins at the big concert

At the Big Concert, a Big Band Member told me he/she HATES this. Sure it is cool you are friends IRL, but Big Band Member knows where he/she is and you are totally humble bragging to your Friends List right now.

2.Don’t announce a big show with big band via Twitter on a Saturday morning.

Timing is everything — don’t scream at an empty room. Be a normal band mate, wake up hungover on Saturday, eat Rice Chex and watch the new Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. Practice when you get out of bed at 4pm.

1.Don’t use the Javascript INVITE ALL to Facebook events.

5,349 people invited. Three Attending. Five Maybes. And one “Block All Requests From This User” is coming your way from me.

Join Clay Fernald (@ClayNFerno) for an intensive first level course in using social media for DJs, producers and bands.

Designed from the insider’s view of the music industry, this class will teach the basics of setting up profiles, checkins, username claiming and more for all of the major social media apps and platforms. The class will prepare you to use your phone, computer or tablet to generate buzz about your latest release, your next event, or strengthen your relationship with your established fans by creating a conversation that goes both ways. Are you a Boston band that’s been around forever but doesn’t have a twitter? This class is also for you. Recommended for musicians of all types, no genre or labels allowed! The class will be structured for beginning to intermediate understanding of Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, but more concepts will be introduced in the short class, allowing some time at the end for student questions.

Clay landed on the cover of The Boston Phoenix in 2005 for being the ‘Most Popular Man in Boston’ — according to social networking site MySpace. He has since made a career making social connections online and off by following marketing trends and staying ahead of them. By establishing best practices at Middle East Nightclub (@MidEastClub — verified) for social media, he has set an example there for other businesses, venues and independent promoters in town.

When not working in various roles for popular Boston bands, Clay also runs social media for band clients and fine artists. You may find his comic book and pop culture news columns on local and national websites. When comic book conventions roll into town, Clay is asked to moderate panels of top industry talent or can be found scouring the quarter bins for lost comic book gems.

ENDORSED!

An Endorsement from David Buckley Borden﻿, Artist.

“If you are a creative type looking to make your own thing happen, sign up for this session. I worked with Clay over the last three months and as an direct and/or indirect result of working together landed exposure in the Boston Globe Arts Blog, the Weekly Dig, Boston Magazine, Boston Hassle and other online outlets..not to mention the growth of my own social media network. Clay’s techniques, tips and tricks of the trade will afford you an effective online hustle.

Clay gets a 5 Star rating and all the affirmative emoticons I have stored on my legacy iphone. Do yourself a solid and sign up.”

Join Clay Fernald (@ClayNFerno) for an intensive first level course in using social media for DJs, producers and bands.

Designed from the insider’s view of the music industry, this class will teach the basics of setting up profiles, checkins, username claiming and more for all of the major social media apps and platforms. The class will prepare you to use your phone, computer or tablet to generate buzz about your latest release, your next event, or strengthen your relationship with your established fans by creating a conversation that goes both ways. Are you a Boston band that’s been around forever but doesn’t have a twitter? This class is also for you. Recommended for musicians of all types, no genre or labels allowed! The class will be structured for beginning to intermediate understanding of Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, but more concepts will be introduced in the short class, allowing some time at the end for student questions.

Clay landed on the cover of The Boston Phoenix in 2005 for being the ‘Most Popular Man in Boston’ — according to social networking site MySpace. He has since made a career making social connections online and off by following marketing trends and staying ahead of them. By establishing best practices at Middle East Nightclub (@MidEastClub — verified) for social media, he has set an example there for other businesses, venues and independent promoters in town.

When not working in various roles for popular Boston bands, Clay also runs social media for band clients and fine artists. You may find his comic book and pop culture news columns on local and national websites. When comic book conventions roll into town, Clay is asked to moderate panels of top industry talent or can be found scouring the quarter bins for lost comic book gems.